


The Differences Between The Light/Shadow And The Sun/Moon (With A Hawk Thrown In)

by TheBizarreHairTrio



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And It Has A Plot, Gen, I can do this, I got this, I know what I'm doing, I'm Just Bad At Tagging, It's A Serious Fic, It's Not Crack Or Porn, It's Okay, Slight Bit Of OOCness, but seriously, just a little idea i had, lol jk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-05-29 15:59:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6383125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBizarreHairTrio/pseuds/TheBizarreHairTrio
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Kagami hadn't come to America?<br/>What if Ogiwara and Kuroko joined forces to defeat the Generation of Miracles?<br/>What if they chanced upon Takao and added him to the group?</p><p>This is basically just a 'what if' story. Ogiwara, Kuroko, and Takao all joining forces to be an ass kicking, prankster, oddball trio. And of course, they're going to bring down the hammer of revenge on those rainbow haired bastards.</p><p> </p><p>----------------D I S C O N T I N U E D------------------</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bitterness, Despair, And Fist Bumps

**Author's Note:**

> I love these three so much. So much. They're all my favorite characters, and I'd just love it if they all became best bros. I'll throw in a lot of my headcanons that I have for them, along with them acting out. Just imagine Ogiwara and Takao getting an earful while Kuroko is just standing there because the teachers can't see him, and both of them glaring at him as he stifles a laugh. These guys' friendship is so important to me, and I will drag you all into the hell I've created for myself.

“Ogi...wara...kun…” The desperate tone of his childhood friend’s voice was almost deaf on the orange haired boy’s ears as he stared with a broken gaze at the scoreboard. 111 - 11. He should have known. The purple haired giant, Murasakibara, seemed too lenient, and the knocking of the ball into his own hoop had been the final nail on the coffin.

 

Ogiwara wanted to scream. Scream at anything, anyone, but his throat was just so dry, and he couldn't feel anything but the crushing weight of defeat. A freezing, terrible sense of hopelessness. His eyes were glued onto the backs of the Teikou team, and his feet were frozen in place. They... were true monsters.

 

Was Kuroko just like them?

 

 _'No,'_ he argued with himself. He had seen Kuroko's eyes. They were cold, like those monsters, but they still had a bit of warmth. The same warmth that they always had, back when they were just two kids, unaware of the terrible things that basketball really held. He wondered, _'Are Kuroko's eyes like theirs now?'_  Only one way to find out.

 

He turned slowly, forcing his limbs to move so he could look at Kuroko. When he finally had, his heart sank to his toes.

 

Kuroko's face was as drawn as his own. His eyes were dead, lifeless, and full of betrayal. In a way, Ogiwara believed Kuroko to look even worse than him. The blue haired boy was whispering things under his breath, tears streaming down his cheeks. Seeing his childhood friend's tears, Ogiwara began to cry too.

 

How had they made their own teammate look like that? And why did Kuroko look so betrayed? Those questions didn't matter. Not now. Right now, he needed to comfort Kuroko. He needed to wrap the smaller boy in his arms and never let go. So he did just that.

 

* * *

 

 

Kuroko stiffened the moment he felt Ogiwara's arms around him. _'Why?'_  he wanted to choke out, but he couldn't find his voice. _'Why was Ogiwara-kun comforting him? It was his fault, his fault for telling Akashi to respect his opponent. He should have known the redhead would do something like that, he seemed a bit too happy when—"_

 

"It's not your fault." It was a whisper, but Kuroko had caught it easily, since Ogiwara's lips were right beside his ear. The orange head was an idiot, true, but he sometimes just knew exactly what Kuroko needed to hear. 

 

Kuroko wrapped his arms around his friend's waist, returning the hug and burying his face into the taller boy's shoulder and letting the tears flow freely. Ogiwara responded by tightening his hold on the smaller boy, tears running down his cheeks as well.

 

It seemed as though they had stood there forever, comforting each other. They gradually made their way off the court, the rest of Meikou already out of the stadium. Kuroko had picked up a Student ID before the match, and went in search of the person who owned it. Their search ended at the stadium for the Interhigh Preliminary Finals for the high school boys' basketball. Kuroko quickly spotted the team to which the student on the ID belonged. _Seirin._  He was immediately captivated by the sight of that very team playing in front of him. No, he wasn't frozen because of the score, which was surprisingly close. He wasn't frozen because he recognized any of the players. He was frozen because of the way the team worked. Fluid passes, compliments, smiles, all those things that the Generation of Miracles had lost. Their teamwork itself was beautiful, functioning so perfectly that Kuroko was breathless. He slowly turned back to Ogiwara, who had also been staring at the court in awe. They locked eyes, a flicker of hope passing between the two, and they nodded in silent agreement.

 

* * *

 

 

Takao was staring at the scoreboard in shock. He didn't even know why he had gone to this match. Was he a masochist? Seeing Midorima's high arch three pointer left a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. But that was nothing compared to the sight before him right now. 111 - 11. Those rainbow haired freaks had manipulated the score. That was not a coincidence. It was too convenient. And the team standing again the Generation of Miracles had realized it too, obvious from the way they broke down. Hopeless looks were all around. Takao could feel the sting of defeat, too, but his match was nothing compared to the one before him. This was much, much worse; it border lined on despicable.

 

A odd movement caught his eye as a Teikou player made his way onto the court, even when the rest of his team was already leaving. Takao was even more shocked as one of the Meikou players pulled the Teikou boy into his arms, both crying. Why? Why was one of their own crying? He should be feeling his twisted, sick happiness at the fact that his team had controlled the game. Why were his cries filled with such despair?

 

Not knowing what was going on, he listened to his gut feeling and followed the Meikou and Teikou pair. Something inside him told him to stop, why was he doing this? This was none of his business. He had already quit basketball. But it was the same gut feeling that he had when he prepared to leave for this game. He didn't have to go. He shouldn't have. His defeat was still fresh, and he had nearly puked everytime the Miracles scored. Why was he here? Why was he following them?

 

Because his instincts had told him to, naturally.

 

* * *

 

 

Kuroko was unsure of why he and Ogiwara were being followed. He had only caught a glimpse of their stalker once, a streak of raven black dashing from one bush to the next. He wasn't sure Ogiwara had noticed either.

 

Right after they boarded the subway train, their pursuer slipping on as well, Kuroko grabbed the person's arm and held it in a tight grip.

 

"Why are you following us?" he asked in his deadpan, a hint of annoyance that only Ogiwara could catch. He stared at the person's face, and his eyes slightly widened.

 

This was one of their opponents from the preliminaries. Kuroko had only really paid attention to him because of his slightly different passes and the fact that he looked like he was about to hurl everytime he had watched Midorima shoot his high three pointer. He wasn't sure of his name, though, but he remembered him nonetheless.

 

"I think I remember you," he said blankly, and the black haired boy's eyes widened.

 

"Oh... Um..." He rubbed the back of his head, nervous and internally screaming at his brain for getting him into this situation.

 

"Eh?" Ogiwara tilted his head, frowing with a slightly thoughtful expression. "This guy was following us?"

 

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. And I would appreciate it if you told us why," he dead panned.

 

Takao blanched slightly, gulping. "I don't know, I just had this gut feeling that I should follow you, I mean, you two are enemies, right? But you were hugging each other on the court, and that kind of peaked my interest. Oh, and by the way, I'm Takao Kazunari."

 

Ogiwara twisted his lips into... Something. It has a half frown, half smile, and all confusing. "You had a gut feeling?"

 

Kuroko's blank expression did not change. "Ogiwara-kun, you sometimes act on instinct as well." Ogiwara was about to reply, but Takao beat him to it.

 

"And why do you look so dead?" Takao asked bitterly, his eyes focused on the blue haired boy. "You just won the match, you should be happy. All of you Teikou guys have a sick sense of humor, you know?" He couldn't control his emotions anymore, and he lay bare all the bitterness and contempt he had kept bottled in ever since his defeat. "Is it fun, crushing everyone under your foot? Manipulating the scores? Well, I'm sorry we're not good enough to stand against you. You're all monsters. Monsters with no respect or regard for your opponents."

 

Ogiwara looked as if he was about to retort, but Kuroko stopped him again. "Takao-san," he began, his voice slightly strained with the emotion that was not present on his face, "I understand how much you hate the Generation of Miracles. And I will take the blame. If I had not told Akashi-kun to respect his opponents, or if I had just done something, maybe none of this would have happened. It's my fault for just standing by. I didn't stop them from turning into monsters." His head was lowered slightly, and despair was laced throughout his entire speech.

 

Takao narrowed his eyes. He just needed to take his anger out on someone, and the blue haired boy seemed like the perfect target. "Yeah, you should be—"

 

"But that doesn't mean I won't stop trying," interrupted Kuroko, his voice now revealing a hint of rage. "I will defeat the Generation of Miracles and turn them back into their original selves."

 

Takao simply blinked at the declaration, while Ogiwara smirked slightly. There was a moment of silence between the three, until the black haired boy broke it.

 

"Count me in," he said. Ogiwara and Kuroko looked at him as if they couldn't believe what he just said. "Count me in," he said a little bit louder. "I want to get back at them for destroying my team. Let me into your little revenge plan."

 

The two others gave each other a weird look, then turned back to Takao, holding up their fists. "Welcome to the club," grinned Ogiwara, and the three bumped fists.

 

A pact was made.


	2. Revenge, Friendship, And Vanilla Milkshakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm sorry. I'll get more into Seirin and everything in the next chapter, I hope. I just wanted to show their relationship during middle school and how they trained, since they all had quit the basketball team.

Takao was breathing hard, his hands resting on his knees as he stopped to catch a breath. He was quite out of practice, given that he couldn't even stand to hear the swish of a basketball hoop for several weeks. Kuroko wasn't looking much better, yet Ogiwara was bright and sunny and sweaty and God, did he want to punch him for smiling like an idiot.

 

Luckily for them, their opponents were in even worse shape. One guy looked like he was drowning in his own pool of sweat, and Takao couldn't help but marvel as his companions.

 

Ogiwara was quick on his feet, more of a speed type rather than a power type. His shots made it in 9 out of 10 times, and Takao could have sworn that he heard the hoop creak when the orange haired boy had dunked.

 

Kuroko, on the other hand, was rather slow, but he was nearly invisible. It was thanks to the raven haired boy's Hawk Eye that he could keep track of the bluenette, but their opponents weren't so lucky. Kuroko disappeared and reappeared all over the place, curving the passes and minimizing his already weak presence even further. It was like he was invisible.

 

But the most amazing thing was them working together. Ogiwara threw the ball to random places, places that even Takao thought were ridiculous. But Kuroko always appeared wherever the ball was thrown, and either passed it perfectly into Takao's hands or back to Ogiwara's. It was a professional level, only able to be executed because of the trust the two had in each other. It was amazing, captivating almost like fluid dance. He honestly could find no other way to describe it.

 

"Having fun?" Kuroko asked in his usual monotone. Takao had gotten slightly better at discerning the emotions on the smaller boy's poker face, and could see the hints of exhaustion, and even the smallest flicker of a smile. He was recovering, slowly and gradually, from the traumatic match of the Nationals.

 

Takao nodded, and Ogiwara came up behind the two and wrapped an arm around each of them. "Of course we are!" Takao glanced at the orange haired boy's face, remembering how strained his smile was when they first started out. He looked as if he had wanted to throw up everytime he had heard anything that even remotely resembled the sounds of basketball. Now, his smile was brighter, more relaxed, and Takao could feel himself smiling too. They were getting over the trauma, bit by bit.

 

"Yeah, I'm having fun, but..." Takao pointed at Ogiwara and yelled, "why the hell did you call us the 'Sun, Moon, and Hawk'?!"

 

Ogiwara blinked. "Well, 'cause I'm the Sun and Tetsu is the Moon to my Sun, and you have the Hawk Eye."

 

"That's exactly what's bothering me!" They started to walk off the court, not even bothering to look back at their defeated opponents. "'I'm the Sun' and 'the Moon to my Sun' are just weird and poetic! If you look at it in a different way, it sounds sappy!"

 

Kuroko looked like he was about to sigh. "Shige-kun and I have always called ourselves that. I don't understand what's so wrong about that, Takao-kun."

 

Takao sweat dropped, then regained his composure. "And another thing!" He turned his gaze on Kuroko, hands on hips. "Why am I 'Takao-kun', and why is he 'Shige-kun'?!"

 

It was Kuroko's turn to blink, and stare at Takao like he was an idiot. "Because Shige-kun is Shige-kun, and Takao-kun is Takao-kun."

 

"I feel like you're making fun of me."

 

"It's okay, Takao!" Ogiwara said cheerfully, a little too cheerfully for Takao's taste. "Tetsu's always been like that! Don't take it to heart."

 

Takao rubbed his chin in thought, snapped his fingers, and smirked. "I got it! I'll call you Tetsu-chan," he pointed to Kuroko, "and you'll be Shige-chan!" He pointed to Ogiwara. "Then, I'll just wait until you guys call me by my first name!"

 

"Got it, Kazu," grinned Ogiwara.

 

"That was fast! Tetsu-chan, what about you?" Takao teased.

 

"Takao-kun, come on. Let's go to Maji Burger." Kuroko started walking down the street, and Takao frowned while Ogiwara grinned again.

 

"It's okay, Kazu." Ogiwara patted his shoulder, half with pity and half with reassurance. "It took me— Wait, it actually only took me a few seconds for him to call me that. Nevermind, that was a bad example!" He laughed awkwardly and hurried after Kuroko. Takao sighed, straightened up, and dashed after the two, almost knocking all of them over as he tackled Kuroko. He swore he could see a small smile on the bluenette's face, and his own grew wider.

 

They all had one goal: revenge. But who said they couldn't be friends as well?

 

* * *

 

 

It's been a few months since the Nationals. Luckily, all three had filled their quota of classes so that they could graduate, so they no longer had to go to school. Instead, they spent their days on the street courts, polishing their skills and gaining new ones. They mostly crashed at Takao's house, where his mother and younger sister fussed over them like they were members of the family. A few times they would sleepover at Ogiwara's single apartment (since his parents were situated in Akita), but it wasn't within walking distance from the courts and was right next to a construction site.

 

"Geez, Tetsu-chan, that really isn't healthy, having only that vanilla milkshake, you know?" Takao himself had a few burgers in front of him, and Ogiwara had several more. Both of them glanced at the smallest member of the group, who only held a milkshake in hand and sipped it every few seconds.

 

"Then I'll get another milkshake after," he replied blankly.

 

Takao almost groaned. "No, silly, I meant that you should eat something else besides a milkshake!"

 

"But I like vanilla milkshakes," Kuroko said simply.

 

"Dom pish it, Kashu." Ogiwara attempted to speak with his mouthful of burger, then swallowed it easily. "Tetsu can hardly eat anything. Besides, I'll just give him one of my burgers. That'll be all he eats."

 

Sure enough, when Ogiwara offered Kuroko a burger, he took it without any argument and ate it slowly. Then he ordered another vanilla milkshake.

 

"Geez," Takao sighed, grinning at Kuroko, "do those vanilla milkshakes really taste _that_  good?"

 

Kuroko nodded, and held out his cup to Takao. "You can try it, if you want."

 

Takao tentatively took a sip, and pulled back, thinking to himself. "It tastes alright to me, but I wouldn't keep ordering it over and over."

 

Ogiwara smiled widely. "That's 'cause Tetsu just loves vanilla stuff! Hey, Tetsu, can I have a sip?" Kuroko nodded, and offered the drink to his friend, who took a sip eagerly, then pulled it back so he could finish it himself.

 

Takao grinned, and stood up once he saw that everyone was finished. "Okay, we're crashing at my house today!" he announced, then locked onto Kuroko. "And my mom is _so_  going to make you eat more at dinner."

 

"Haruka-san always does that, but she also always gives up in the end," he pointed out as they all stood up, making their way out of the restaurant.

 

"Can't argue with that," Takao replied, putting his arms behind his head and stretching.

 

Ogiwara laughed. "No matter what my mom did, she couldn't make Kuroko eat more, either! Haruka-san should not waste her time on the impossible."

 

The trio laughed, with Kuroko's only being a silent chuckle as they walked across the street and down the road to Takao's quaint house. It wasn't small, but it wasn't large either. All three of them could already hear his younger sister and his mom, and opened the door to the house. Ogiwara and Kuroko glanced at each other before entering, a smile dancing on Kuroko's lips and one already present on Ogiwara's.

 

It's only been three months, and they already had become part of the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, did you see what I did there? They haven't gone to Kuroko's house yet.... I wonder why.... *evil laugh*  
> Yeah, Kuroko's house will probably be a big part of the story, but won't appear until the later chapters. Can you guess what the mystery of Kuroko's house is?


	3. New School, New Faces, And An Invisible Boy

"Shige-chan~ How are we going to find Tetsu-chan in this crowd? He's practically invisible!" complained Takao, as he and Ogiwara made their way through the throng of new students. Seirin High was smaller than some schools, as it had just formed two years ago. However, that didn't mean that it had basically no students. In fact, it was like there were too many students.

 

Ogiwara looked at his raven haired friend like he was an idiot. "Use your Hawk Eye, of course!"

 

Takao's expression lit up like something just dawned on him. "Ah! I totally forgot!" He quickly changed the perspective, searching for a mop of light blue hair. He spotted said friend, standing in front of the board that mapped out all the booths. "There he is!" he shouted, and he and Ogiwara pushed through the crowd, trying to get to the smaller boy.

 

* * *

 

 

"Okay... One, two... Ten applicants, so far!" said Aida Riko, sitting at the basketball team's booth and waving farewell to a first year who had just filled out the application. _'Now that's some good material,'_ she thought to herself, looking the freshman up and down and almost drooling at the prospects.

 

"Coach, please don't." Hyuuga Junpei, the captain of the basketball team, who was sitting next to the brunette, sighed to himself. "I hope they get some promising guys."

 

Before Riko could reply, a shout rang out, and she spotted one of the regulars with two freshman on the tow. The regular, named Koganei Shinji, grinned like a cat. "I got some new students!"

 

The raven haired boy, who was being dragged along by his wrist, had a thoughtful look on his face and was looking around for someone. "Senpai, please don't drag me!" he complained, although he was grinning.

 

The orange haired boy wasn't even paying attention, and was looking around even more fervently than his friend, calling out "Tetsu!" every few seconds.

 

Riko stared at the two boys. _'These two are barely over 180 cm! No, wait, Riko,'_ she berated herself. _'We should be thankful for whoever we get.'_ Still...

 

"Aha!" the raven haired boy nearly screeched. "There you are, Tetsu-chan!" He was pointing almost directly at Riko, who started. Even Hyuuga looked confused.

 

"Huh?" They both said in sync. The orange haired boy, however, marched over to the table and grabbed hold of a smaller boy with light blue hair.

 

 _"WHERE DID HE COME FROM?!"_ shrieked Riko, Hyuuga, and Koganei all together.

 

"Tetsu-chan!" sang the raven haired boy, and he tackle hugged the smaller boy. "We were so worried~ Don't ever disappear on us again, 'kay?"

 

The bluenette looked as if this was the most natural thing in the world as he stared down at the book in his hand. "Takao-kun, you'll be able to find me no matter where I am, so you don't need to be worried," he said in a monotone, with his face devoid of any expression.

 

The orange haired boy slung an arm around the blue haired boy's shoulder. "He's right, Kazu! Your Eye can always see Tetsu!"

 

The raven haired boy pouted. "Thanks for the compliment, but there is one more thing to address." He stared at the bluenette reproachfully. "Tetsu-chan, you were calling me 'Kazu-kun' earlier! Why aren't you doing so now?"

 

"It slipped my mind," he dead panned.

 

Riko decided she had had enough. "Oi, first years!" The trio snapped their heads towards her direction, with even the light blue haired boy looking up from his book. She pushed three of the application forms towards the three. "Fill these out. You guys are joining the basketball club, right?"

 

"Totally!" exclaimed the orange haired one, grabbing a pen and beginning to fill the sheet out.

 

"Naturally," replied the raven haired boy, smirking, as he detached himself from the smaller boy and bent down with a pen of his own.

 

Riko studied the forms, noting the names first and foremost. _'Ogiwara Shigehiro and Takao Kazunari, huh?'_ She glanced over at the blue haired boy, who was grabbing another form from the other end of the table.

 

He handed the form to her. "I already filled it out," he said blankly. He started to walk away as his friends kept filling their forms out.

 

"Hey, Tetsu, wait!" The orange haired boy, now known as Ogiwara, rushed after the blue haired boy the moment he finished. The raven haired boy, identified as Takao, had already dashed after him, leaving behind the three second years.

 

Riko glanced down at the form that the blue haired boy gave her. _'Kuroko Tetsuya. He attended...'_ Her eyes widened at the next line. "He... He..."

 

"Coach, you alright?" asked Hyuuga, concerned.

 

Riko stared at the form, then at the captain, her mouth opening and closing in a very accurate impression of a goldfish. "HE'S FROM TEIKOU!" she screeched.

 

Teikou was the school that dominated the middle school basketball circuit for past several years. However, for the last three years, there was a team that could undoubtedly be called the best: the 'Generation of Miracles'. They were five players with outstanding abilities, and this year, they were all entering high school as freshmen. You'd have to be living under a rock to not know about them. So, you could imagine the shock Riko, Hyuuga, and Koganei were all feeling when they learned a _freshman_ who previously attended _Teikou_ had just joined their basketball team.

 

_"WHAT?!"_

 

 

* * *

 

"Is everybody here?" called out Izuki Shun, the vice captain of the basketball team. All the first years were gathered in the gym, along with the second years from the club. He looked around, and nodded to himself. "Okay, everyone, go line up over there."

 

The freshmen began whispering to themselves, eyeing Riko, who was speaking to a couple of the second years. "Hey, isn't the manager cute?"

 

"She's a second year, right?"

 

"Yeah, but if she was just a bit more sexy..."

 

"IDIOTS!" Hyuuga bellowed, knocking the two first years in the head, who yelped at the sudden smack. "YOU'RE WRONG!"

 

Riko turned towards the first years, a silver whistle around her neck and a clipboard tucked between her side and left arm. "I'm the boys basketball coach, Aida Riko. Nice to meet you!" she declared, smirking.

 

_"EEEEEEEH?!"_

 

Takao's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "Wait, wait, the coach isn't that old guy over there?!" He jabbed a finger in the direction of a gray haired, wrinkled man sitting on one of the benches.

 

Tsuchida Satoshi, a second year, waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, that's the advisor, Takeda-sensei. He's just here to watch us."

 

"What?!"

 

"Seriously?!"

 

"Is that even allowed?"

 

Riko grinned. "Okay, let's get down to it! First order of business..." Her grin took a darker look. "Take off your shirts!"

 

_"EEEEEEEH?!"_

 

The freshmen did what she requested, albeit a bit reluctantly. _'What the hell does she mean...'_  They all thought to themselves.

 

Riko walked up and down the line, inspecting them one by one. "You," she began, pointing at one of the boys. "Your instantaneous strength is weak. I guess you're around 50 steps on the 20 seconds on the quick ladder training, right? If you want to play basketball you'll have to improve that a bit. You." She turned her gaze on another person. "Your body is too stiff. Train your flexibility after getting out of the bath. And you..."

 

The first years that she examined blinked in pure awe and shock. "Are you kidding me?"

 

"She's right!"

 

"What the hell?"

 

"How'd she do that?"

 

Hyuuga crossed his arms, a smug look on his face. "That girl's father is a sports trainer. She grew up spending every day looking at muscles and data, thus giving her this special skill: being able to see their abilities and stats just by looking at their bodies." He grinned to himself. _'But that's not the only reason she's the coach...'_

 

Meanwhile, Riko was busy gaping at Ogiwara's and Takao's stats. _'This... This isn't normal!'_  Her eyes scanned over their bodies fervently. _'They're much more toned and muscled than other people their age, even the other freshmen! Their potential, even...!'_  She suddenly was reminded of a certain easygoing center with a cheerful smile...

 

Hyuuga raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Coach! Stop daydreaming!" he shouted.

 

Riko blinked, then looked around. "Ah! Er, um, sorry..."

 

"That was the last guy, right?" There were a few giggles from Ogiwara and Takao, but Hyuuga paid them no heed.

 

"Oh, uh..." Riko checked the list in her hands, remembering Kuroko. "Wait, um, is Kuroko here?"

 

"Oh, that guy from Teikou?"

 

"Wait, wait, _the_  Teikou? We're talking about the same Teikou, ri—"

 

"Ahahaha!" Takao was laughing hard now, clutching his sides. Ogiwara was no better, on his hands and knees as he shook with laughter. Everyone stared at them like they just grew two heads.

 

Ogiwara wiped a tear from his eye, and glanced over to his side, grinning like a moron. "Say, Tetsu, don't you get tired of this?"

 

"I have to say that I do, Shige-kun." 

 

"AHHHHHH!" Riko shrieked, backing up a few steps.

 

"Coach, what's the— _OH MY GOD, WHERE DID YOU COME FROM_?!" screamed Hyuuga, noticing Kuroko for the first time.

 

"Hey, hey, Tetsu-chan!" Takao wrapped his arms around the smaller boy's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder. "This is really getting old, don't ya think?"

 

Ogiwara got up from the floor and crossed his arms. "Captain, Tetsu was here the whole time," he said. "You just didn't notice him."

 

Izuki's mouth was wide open. _"SERIOUSLY?!"_

 

The other freshmen were shocked as well. _'This guy is from_ the _Teikou?! But he's, like, invisible!'_

 

"Wait a second, but he's got, like, no presence!"

 

"He couldn't have been from the 'Generation of Miracles'!"

 

"He couldn't have been a regular..."

 

Hyuuga laughed nervously, still a bit jumpy from Kuroko's sudden appearance. "Of course he didn't play in matches. Right, Kuroko?"

 

"Oh, no no no!" exclaimed Takao, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Tetsu-chan played in matches! Official ones!"

 

Kuroko nodded. "Kazu-kun is right. I did play in matches."

 

Takao squealed, tightening his hold on Kuroko. "Tetsu-chan, you called me by my first name!"

 

"Kazu-kun, that hurts."

 

_"EEEEEEEH?!"_

 

"I don't believe it!"

 

Riko snapped out of her daze and pointed at Kuroko. "Hey, take off your shirt!"

 

Kuroko glanced meaningfully at Takao. "I already did, though. Oh well. Kazu-kun, please get off."

 

"Awwww, but I don't wanna~"

 

Ogiwara sighed. "'Kay, Kazu, let's get you off of Tetsu." He easily yanked Takao off of Kuroko, like he'd done it a million times before.

 

"Shige-chan, you meanie~" Takao fake pouted.

 

Kuroko tugged his shirt off, and Riko scanned him up and down, her eyes widening. _'His stats are so...'_

 

"He's so average that you're surprised?" suggested Ogiwara. 

 

Riko whirled around, facing Ogiwara. "How did you..."

 

The orange haired boy shrugged. "That's just how Tetsu is. But I can assure you, he's really good. His strength is different, but it's there. And he's pretty scary when he gets going."

 

Takao snickered. "Shige-chan, you actually didn't sound like an idiot for once!"

 

"Hey!"

 

Riko raised an eyebrow, but didn't press forward.

 

"Okay!" yelled Hyuuga. "Let's start practice!"


	4. Teamwork, Sleepovers, And Motherly Tendencies

Riko stared at the scoreboard.  _38 - 37._  That was the result of the game between the second years and the first years. She couldn't believe it.

 

"The freshmen actually won?!"

 

"No way!"

 

She turned her attention back to the freshmen trio of Ogiwara, Kuroko, and Takao, her jaw dropping. They were the ones that had won the game. Takao's perfect, accurate passes and Ogiwara's speed and power weren't the things that surprised her the most. Even Kuroko, who she identified as the rumored passing specialist of Teikou, the phantom sixth man, wasn't the most shocking thing. It was their perfect teamwork that worked like a perfectly oiled machine. And last she checked, those three didn't even go to the same school!

 

Riko stood up and approached the trio, who were smiling and laughing with each other. "Oi!" she yelled, calling their attention to her. "How did you do that? You guys functioned perfectly in tune with each other, but on your forms, it was clear you guys never all went to the same school! That kind of teamwork can only be built up by a long relationship with one another."

 

Takao grinned, wrapping one arm around Kuroko's shoulders and the other arm around Ogiwara's shoulders. "Well, Shige-chan and Tetsu-chan are childhood friends. And we all played for several months in streetball tournaments with each other, too!"

 

"Ask around about the group Sun/Moon/Hawk!" chimed Ogiwara.

 

"Shige-kun is the Sun, I am the Moon to the Sun, and Kazu-kun is the Hawk," clarified Kuroko.

 

"I really don't like our group name," Takao sighed.

 

"Ummm...?" Riko couldn't keep the confusion out of her voice at their last few sentences, but she had gotten the gist of it. "Okay, well, that teamwork will really come in handy in matches."

 

"So we can play?!" Ogiwara's eyes sparkled, and Riko could also envision dog ears and a tail on him.

 

"Of course not, idiot!" Hyuuga came up behind him and slammed his fist down on the orange haired boy's head. "You're not official members yet."

 

"Then how do we become official members?" asked Kuroko blankly.

 

Riko waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, come to my classroom during lunch tomorrow. I'll give you the details there, okay?"

 

"Yes!"

 

* * *

 

"Man, that was a fun game!" Takao said, putting his hands behind his head. 

 

"Yes, it was," agreed Kuroko, his usual monotone intact.

 

Ogiwara grinned, practically bouncing up and down as he walked alongside his friends. "I want to play the 'Generation of Miracles' already!" he said excitedly.

 

"I've been sitting on my revenge for months now, and I'm kind of getting impatient." Takao smirked darkly. "I don't care if it's an official match or not, I just want to hurry up and crush them!"

 

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. I am a bit impatient as well."

 

Takao glanced over at the bluenette and raised an eyebrow. "Tetsu-chan, if you're going to say that, at least show your impatience!"

 

"I am," he deadpanned.

 

"No, your face is as blank as always!"

 

"Guys, are we going to eat at Maji Burger?" Ogiwara interrupted the pair, stopping in his tracks and staring at the restaurant across the street.

 

"Well, yeah, since we can't sleep over at my house today," replied Takao.

 

"If we had brought another uniform, we could have," added Kuroko. "Since our sleepwear are already mixed up with Kazu-kun's clothes."

 

"That just shows how much we've stayed at his place."

 

"I got an idea!" Takao snapped his fingers, and pointed at Kuroko. "We should sleep at Tetsu-chan's house!"

 

"No way," intoned Kuroko.

 

"Eh? Why not?" Ogiwara tilted his head to look at his childhood friend's face.

 

"Because it's too far away, and you both don't have an extra uniform."

 

Takao frowned and scratched his chin. "Okay, then, tomorrow?"

 

"No. You're not sleeping over."

 

"Why are you so against it?" Ogiwara asked, a thoughtful expression on his face.

 

"Because my house isn't meant for visitors," replied Kuroko. "Any ways, I'm hungry. Let's eat." He walked into Maji Burger quickly. Takao and Ogiwara exchanged looks, shrugged, and followed their friend inside.

 

* * *

 

 

"Tetsu-chan! I'm so glad we're in the same class!" Takao practically flew at Kuroko, who deftly sidestepped his raven haired friend's hug and sat down in the window seat in the very back corner. Takao fake pouted and took his seat to Kuroko's right. "Shige-chan's not here," he remarked, staring at the seat right in front of Kuroko.

 

"He'll be late," said Kuroko monotonously. "It's how he is."

 

Sure enough, a few minutes into their teacher's speech, the door slid open and showed an out of breath Ogiwara, with his hair slightly disheveled and his uniform buttoned the wrong way. "I'm sorry I'm late," he gasped out. "I got the bus times wrong so I ran all the way here."

 

There were a few giggles from the other students, the loudest being Takao's, who could barely contain his laughter at the teacher's face. Two words described her expression: not amused.

 

"Ogiwara-kun," she finally began, "I'll be lenient with you this one time as it is the beginning of the school year and we all have yet to settle into the student life. However, should you be late again, there will be a desk in detention with your name on it. Do I make myself clear?"

 

"Yes, ma'am," he squeaked, and he quietly made his way to his seat, his face beet red from embarrassment and all the eyes on him.

 

"Shige-kun, you would've made it on time even if you ran," whispered Kuroko, with Takao leaning in to listen as well. "What else happened?"

 

"A cat stole my bag," the orange haired boy muttered, his cheeks still tinged red.

 

"Oh my god," commented Takao, covering his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter.

 

"You have crumbs on your face," pointed out Kuroko.

 

"Oh, thanks, Tetsu." He wiped the crumbs off with his hand and brushed it on his pants.

 

"Your uniform is crooked. Need me to fix it?"

 

"No, I got it." He redid the buttons on his gakuran properly.

 

"Did you remember your lunch?"

 

"...Oh shit." Ogiwara dug through his bag, slightly panicked, only to come up with nothing.

 

"I have some extra money, so we can buy some food from the canteen."

 

"Tetsu, you're a lifesaver."

 

"No, he's your mom," snickered Takao.

 

"Kazu-kun, I bet you didn't remember your lunch either."

 

"...No."

 

"I thought so. Luckily I brought enough money for the three of us. I thought that this might happen."

 

"Oh my god, Tetsu-chan, you're psychic."

 

"No, Tetsu's just our mom."

 

* * *

 

 

"Coach."

 

 _"KYAAAAAA!"_  shrieked Riko, spitting out her milk all over Kuroko. Behind him were Ogiwara and Takao who were laughing their asses off.

 

"We're here, just like you asked," he deadpanned, wiping the milk off his face with his sleeve. "I'm glad I brought an extra uniform, even if it was for Kazu-kun's house."

 

"You can just borrow one of mine," said Takao, still laughing slightly.

 

"How long were you standing there?!" demanded Riko.

 

"Five minutes. I was calling you the entire time, too."

 

"...Sorry," she apologized.

 

"It's alright, I'm used to it."

 

"So?" butted in Ogiwara, smiling like an idiot. "What are the details that we need to hear so that we can be real club members?"

 

Riko handed them each a sheet of paper. "Take those, fill them out, and come to the rooftop at 8:40 Monday morning," she grinned. "Don't be late!"


	5. Detention, Nude Confessions, And A Message

"Ufufufu~ I've been waiting!" Aida Riko, coach of the basketball team, stood on the rooftop of the school building, grinning darkly. Her arms were below her chest and her hair and uniform ruffled in the wind, like she was a villain right out of some action movie.

 

Takao sweat dropped. "Are you an idiot?"

 

"Maybe it's a duel," remarked Kuroko, a little too calmly for the taste of his fellow first years.

 

Ogiwara looked the most panicked out of all of them. "Okay, so, I didn't really think about it before, but... Isn't the classes' morning assembly is five minutes?!" he screeched.

 

"Hurry up with the test!"

 

Riko smirked. "Before we get to that, I have one thing to say. When I became the coach, I made a promise to the captain. We're playing basketball to win the Nationals! If you can't handle that, go find another club!"

 

"Eh? What the he—"

 

"I know you guys are strong," she continued, as if she had never been interrupted. "But if you keep training with the mindset of 'someday' or 'maybe next year,' you'll never get stronger! I want you to have a big, concrete goal that you will work towards no matter what!" She threw out her arm, revealing the railing behind her. "So that's why now! From here! State your class number, your name, and your goals for this year! By the way, all of the second years including me did this last year. Oh, and," she winked, smirking evilly, "on top of that, if you can't accomplish that girl, you'll be confessing your feelings to the girl you love! Completely naked!" 

 

All the first years, sans the oddball trio (Ogiwara, Takao, and Kuroko) turned as white as a sheet. _"EEEEEEEEEEEEH?!"_

 

"Woah, what?!"

 

"I heard rumors, but I didn't think they'd actually do it!"

 

"Is she serious?!"

 

"Oh man, the teachers are going to be so mad!"

 

Ogiwara yawned, clearly not interested anymore. "That's it? That's not even that much of a test." He jumped onto the railing and stood on it with both feet, ignoring the worried gasps of Riko and some of the first years. "CLASS 1-B, OGIWARA SHIGEHIRO! I'LL DEFEAT THE GERNERATION OF MIRACLES WITH TETSU AND KAZU, AND WE'LL BECOME NUMBER ONE IN JAPAN!" He leapt down, much to the relief of the others.

 

Down on the ground, there were murmurs of shock and amusement among the students, and Hyuuga sweat dropped. _'She's doing it this year too, huh.'_

 

"Ooh, ooh, my turn~" Takao performed a backflip, landing on the railing with only his hands, giving Riko a heart attack. He flipped again, this time balancing on the railing with his feet, which slightly calmed the brunette's nerves. "CLASS 1-B, TAKAO KAZUNARI! I'LL KICK ALL THOSE RAINBOW BASTARDS' ASSES WITH TETSU-CHAN AND SHIGE-CHAN, AND THEN WE'LL PARTY IT UP IN TETSU-CHAN'S MYSTERIOUS HOUSE AFTER!" He jumped down.

 

"Well, anyone else?" grinned Riko. She looked over the group of nervous first years, not spotting a certain bluenette in the crowd. _'Did Kuroko chicken out?'_

 

"Coach."

 

 _"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"_  She shrieked, said first year appearing right before her with a megaphone in hand—wait a second, where the hell did that megaphone come from?

 

"My voice is rather quiet, so may I use this?" he requested. 

 

Riko calmed herself down, recovering from the shock enough to nod her head and choke out a two word response. "Uh, sure."

 

Kuroko held the megaphone to his lips, opened his mouth, and—

 

"KORRAAAAAAA! IT'S THE BASKETBALL CLUB AGAIN, DAMMIT!" yelled the vice principal as he nearly broke down the entrance to the roof.

 

"Shit, they're quick this time!" cursed Riko. The group of first years paled dramatically.

 

A few minutes later found all of the first years (sans Kuroko, he easily slipped away without the vice principal noticing which had both Takao and Ogiwara silently cursing his entire existence in their heads) and Riko on their knees, getting screamed at by the vice principal. He assigned them detention and banned them from the roof.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Man, that was cruel!" complained Takao, holding his bag over one shoulder. "And I can't believe you ditched us, Tetsu-chan! So mean!"

 

"I hate you, Tetsu," grumbled Ogiwara, hands shoved in his pockets. "We had to endure a scolding _and_  detention while you got off Scot free!"

 

Kuroko's eyes were downcast. "Yes, but what about me? What happens if I can't join the club because of that?"

 

The two stopped in their tracks. "Tetsu-chan, you know they won't do that, right?" asked Takao.

 

"Yeah, I mean, that's just kind of stupid," remarked Ogiwara.

 

"But I'd feel ashamed if I got in without performing the same thing as you guys."

 

"Oh my God, then just find another way to announce to the school that you'll beat the 'Generation of Miracles' and become number one in Japan. And I know you'll find one," said Ogiwara confidently. "I mean, it is you, after all."

 

"...Thank you, Shige-kun."

 

"Hey! Thanks for taking the spotlight, Shige-chan!" pouted Takao. "I was going to say that! I can't believe you stole my line!"

 

"I didn't steal anything! I thought of it first!"

 

"No, I did!"

 

"No, me!"

 

"Thief!"

 

"Liar!"

 

"Children, stop arguing," intoned Kuroko, barely hiding the amusement from his voice. The pair looked towards him in astonishment, then burst into laughter.

 

"Oh my God, Tetsu, you really are our mom!"

 

"Why does that sound so fitting?"

 

Kuroko chuckled lightly with his friends, smiling secretly to himself. He really did have the greatest friends.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The next morning found a confused Ogiwara staring at his classmates where they were all crowded against the windows, pointing and chattering about something.

 

"Hey, what's going on?"

 

Takao was smiling widely as he looked through the window to, and he turned his attention to the orange haired boy. "Just look outside and see," he replied cryptically.

 

Ogiwara peeked outside the window over the head of one of his classmates. His eyes widened at the sight.

 

In huge letters on the spot where the P.E. classes would be practicing was the sentence "I will make you number one in Japan." He grinned, then glanced at Kuroko who sat in his corner seat, a smile tugging at the bluenette's lips as he pretended to read a book.


	6. A Model, Hostility, And Strength

"Ummm.... Hey, where's Coach?" asked Hyuuga, dripping with sweat from their grueling practice. He grabbed another basketball, preparing to shoot a three pointer. "I mean, I know she must be organizing a practice match, but it shouldn't be taking this long..."

 

"Oh, um, I think she's already finished," answered Kawahara Kouichi, one of the three first years who stayed besides the oddball trio.

 

"Yeah!" agreed Fukuda Hiroshi, yet another one of those first years. "I saw her in the halls, and I think she was skipping."

 

Ogiwara stopped dribbling the ball, raising an eyebrow. "Skipping? Like, the walk sort of skipping?" Fukuda nodded in response, and Hyuuga blanched.

 

"Oh no," he said, and the rest of the club turned to look at him. "If that woman is skipping, then our opponent is going to be super strong."

 

"I'm back!" yelled Riko, peeking out from behind the gym door. "I'll get changed right away!" She smiled sweetly—a much too sweet smile if you ask me—which had all the second years paling dramatically. "And guess what~ I've got a match with one of the schools that have a 'Generation of Miracles'~!"

 

 _'We're doomed!'_  the second years all thought in sync.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Hey...." Izuki glanced at the foldable table in their locker room, noticing the magazine and picking it up. "Isn't this from the time Kuroko was in middle school?"

 

Koganei took the magazine and started flipping through the pages. "Wow, there's an article dedicated to each of the members of the 'Generation of Miracles'!"

 

Hyuuga frowned, looking over Koganei's shoulder. "Kuroko.... Doesn't have an article."

 

Izuki raised an eyebrow, and turned his gaze over to said boy. "Didn't they come to interview you?"

 

Kuroko pulled on his uniform, then whirled around, facing the three second years. "Actually, someone did, but then they forgot about me."

 

 _'So cruel!'_  They all thought simultaneously. 

 

"Besides..." The blue haired boy looked out the window. "They are true prodigies. I cannot even compare to them."

 

* * *

 

 

**_The Next Day..._ **

 

A blonde walked through the gates of the school, smiling up at the school. "Ohhhh? So this is Seirin, huh? I wonder... Where's the basketball club gym?"

 

The girls standing at the entrance glanced at him and whispered.

 

_"Hey, that's not our uniform, right?"_

 

_"Wow, so tall!"_

 

_"He's super hot!"_

 

_"Wait a second... Isn't he that model..."_

 

_"Ohmygod, you're right! Let's go tell everyone!"_

 

Unaware of the incoming mob, Kise Ryouta smirked. "Now... Where are you, Kurokocchi?"

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Oooh, nice one, Shige-chan!" Ogiwara and Izuki were having a slight one-on-one, both not giving an inch, when suddenly the orange haired boy did a feint, turned around to the other side as Izuki fell for his fake, and easily dunked the ball, bypassing the second year completely.

 

_"Woah! That speed!"_

 

_"You wouldn't think he was human with that!"_

 

_"I bet he can stop the 'Generation of Miracles' with that!"_

 

_"Maybe he's surpassed them already!"_

 

Kuroko sighed, ignoring the comments. That move was quite amazing, he'll give Shige-kun that, but both of them know he'll never reach the 'Generation of Miracles'. At best, he'd probably be at the level of an Uncrowned King.

 

 _Tweet!_  Coach blew her whistle, and everyone gathered around. "We're going to have a practice match with Kaijou!" she announced.

 

"I knew it, we're all going to die," whispered Koganei. Tsuchida was muttering prayers under his breath, his eyes lifted to the ceiling.

 

"Are they that good?" wondered Furihata Kouki.

 

Hyuuga sighed. "They're strong," he admitted. "They're of the National Class and go to the Inter High finals every year without fail."

 

The timid trio (Kawahara, Fukuda, and Furihata) all shuddered. _'They're that strong?!'_

 

Riko grinned. "Moreover, they received Kise Ryouta of the 'Generation of Miracles'!"

 

"Eeeeeh?!"

 

"Really?!"

 

Izuki turned as white as a sheet. "Yep, we're dead."

 

"On top of that, isn't he that rumored model?" added Kawahara.

 

"Seriously?"

 

Tears started running down Koganei's face. "Good looking _and_ good at basketball? So unfair!"

 

Riko sighed, about to reprimand then, but then she noticed the horde of girls crowding around the stage in their gym. "Wait a second... When did these people get here?! Why are they even here?!"

 

An embarrassed chuckle came up from the middle of the crowd of girls. "Hahaha... I didn't mean for this to happen...." The crowd of girls parted, and the basketball team's eyes widened as a tall blonde signing autographs was revealed.

 

"N-No way!" Ogiwara and Takao scowled, while Kuroko remained impassive, except for the slight narrowing of his eyes. 

 

"KISE RYOUTA?!"

 

Kise scratched his cheek with the end of his pen, smiling nervously. "I'm sorry, could you just give me five minutes?"

 

The team glanced at the long line of girls that went out of the door. _'Isn't five minutes impossible?!'_

 

Five minutes later (actually, more like fifteen), Kise hopped down from the stage, smiling.

 

"Wh-What are you doing here?" demanded Riko.

 

"Well, when I heard we were having a match against Seirin, I remembered that Kurokocchi was the one who came here! So I came to say hi!" He flashed a smile at the blue haired boy. "We really were the best of friends in middle school!"

 

Takao and Ogiwara's scowls deepened as the blonde walked up to Kuroko. "No, not particularly," he deadpanned.

 

A stream of crocodile tears ran down his face. "Kurokocchi, so mean!"

 

Meanwhile, the timid trio were busy poring over Kise's article in the magazine from the club room. "Ah, let's see. Um, 'Even though he started basketball in his second year of middle school, blessed with a great build and sense of play, he became a regular at Teikou in the blink of an eye. His experience is still light compared to the other four, but he is an all rounder that improves very quickly.' Wait... You've only been playing for two years?!"

 

Kise scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Ahaha... They were exaggerating, really. I'm glad to be called one of the 'Generation of Miracles,' but that just means I'm the weakest of the bunch. That's why me and Kurokocchi were always bullied."

 

"Actually, I wasn't bullied," replied Kuroko blankly. "And could you please stop making things up?"

 

"Eh?! I was the only one?!" Kise's eyes widened as a basketball came hurtling towards him, and he caught it instinctively. "Ouch... Wait, what...?"

 

"Get away from Tetsu," growled Ogiwara, Takao standing behind him with a similar feral expression. "Or you'll regret it, Ikemen-kun."

 

"Ogiwara?! Takao?! What are you—?!"

 

"Who are you and why are you referring to Kurokocchi so familiarly?" Kise asked coldly.

 

"Of course," said Kuroko, his hair hiding his eyes. "Of course you wouldn't remember them."

 

"Eh? We played them? Well, whatever. It's not like I should remember weak players." He gazed at them arrogantly, and Takao grit his teeth.

 

"See, this is exactly why I don't like you skittle bastards." The rest of Seirin were taken aback by the pure anger in the raven haired boy's voice. It seemed quite out of character for him.

 

The blonde sighed. "Geez, this just proves my point." He approached the rest of the club, leaning towards them with a smirk. "Please give me Kurokocchi."

 

Hyuuga gained a tick mark on his head and Riko snapped out her silence. "What?!"

 

Kise extended a hand to Kuroko. "Come on, Kurokocchi! Transfer to Kaijou! Let's play basketball together again! This place can't use your skills properly."

 

"Hey, you—"

 

Kuroko sighed, and bowed respectfully to Kise. "I'm sorry, Kise-kun, but I must decline your offer."

 

"Eh? Why? This isn't like you. Wasn't winning supposed to be everything?"

 

"My way of thinking has changed since then. Now, I wish to defeat you and the 'Generation of Miracles' with Shige-kun, Kazu-kun, and Seirin." The smaller boy looked the model in the eye, his gaze unwavering.

 

Kise's aura turned serious. "I defeat whoever's making you say such things, and then you'll come to Kaijou," he declared. "So get ready for your transfer." With one more withering glance around the gym, he leaves.

 

Ogiwara scowled. "I really hate that guy."

 

"Mmm, you're not the only one, Shige-chan." Takao grinned again, losing all seriousness, and glomped Kuroko. "Hey, hey, Tetsu-chan! You really had me worried there! I thought you would ditch us!"

 

"I am offended, Kazu-kun. I have already made a promise with you and Shige-kun, and I intend to keep it."

 

Ogiwara sighed. "Well, at least he's finally gone. I can't wait for the match."


	7. Mazes, Pigs, And Buzzer Beaters

A few days later, Seirin was found wandering around Kaijou High School like lost puppies.

 

"This place is so huge!" exclaimed Koganei.

 

Hyuuga nodded in agreement. "It's like a maze."

 

Meanwhile, Riko had several tick marks on her head. "It's been nearly thirty minutes and we still haven't found the gym!" she screeched. "Izuki, use your Eagle Eye!"

 

"I can't use it like that!" the pun-lover yelled back, cowering in the back so that the coach wouldn't strangle him.

 

Takao sighed. "Not even my Hawk Eye can see the entire campus."

 

"Whatever. Don't we have some sort of map?" asked Ogiwara.

 

"If we had a map, we wouldn't be in this predicament!"

 

Kuroko spoke up suddenly, which made almost the entire club jump a meter in the air in surprise. "Should I call Kise-kun to come and get us?"

 

"Never!" hissed Riko. "That's like we're admitting defeat!"

 

 _'Defeat in what?'_  wondered the timid trio of freshmen.

 

"Hey, Seirin~!" called a voice. Seirin turned towards the direction of the voice, spotting Kise running towards them wearing typical training gear but still looking impeccable. Really, he could wear a garbage bag and still have girls fawning over him.

 

"Finally," muttered Tsuchida under his breath. Motive silently nodded in agreement.

 

"Jeez, this place is so huge! I hope you didn't get lost!" the model exclaimed.

 

"O-Of course not! We just got here!" lied Coach.

 

 _'Riko, you're stuttering,'_  thought Hyuuga.

 

Kise ignored the rest of the team and found the pale blue haired boy in the back of the crowd, grinning excitedly at him while seemingly oblivious of the scowls of the two that flanked him. "Kurokocchi~ Ever since you turned me down, I've been crying into my pillow every night!" he whined, fake crocodile tears running down his face. "No girl has even turned me down before, you know?"

 

"Please stop being sarcastic, Kise-kun," deadpanned Kuroko.

 

"Ah, you know me so well." Kise stopped his childish act and smirked seriously at Ogiwara and Takao, whose scowls deepened. "I'm more interested in the people that made Kurokocchi say such things. You know, I don't really care for the title of the 'Generation of Miracles,' but I'm not mature enough to let such an obvious challenge go. Sorry, but I'm going to crush you with all I've got."

 

Takao grinned, although his eyes were cold. "Yeah, bring it on, blondie."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

There were a couple things that stuck out about Kaijou that Seirin would remember for a long time.

 

Firstly, Kaijou's coach was a fat pig that had absolutely no respect for his opponents. He underestimated them greatly by telling them that they were only using the half court for today's match, as "the club members that won't be playing won't learn anything, so they'll continue with practice as usual." He also told them not to let his team triple their score. The last straw was when he forbid Kise from playing since if he was playing, it "wouldn't even be a match anymore." It took all of their strength to hold Riko back from gutting the fat coach and roasting him on a spit (although they were tempted to let her do exactly that). Luckily, they shut the bastard coach up when Ogiwara accidentally broke their hoop with a dunk (seriously, it was an accident) that had Riko squealing with delight and Kaijou's coach red faced with anger as he roared for Kise.

 

And lastly, Kise was a goddamned _monster_. He copied every move Ogiwara made that wasn't coordinated with two times the power. However, they shut him down by only doing team plays consisting of the "Sun and Moon" duo. Kise promptly realized that this was the original "Light and Shadow" pair, one established far before Kuroko's and Aomine's partnership. It was better as well, because they literally _destroyed_  him several times with certain moves. Unfortunately, Kise began to show even more intensity and concentration that even beat their team play. The point difference stayed frozen in place.

 

In the middle of the second quarter, Seirin called for a timeout. The players collapsed on the bench, greedily drinking water and soaking up their sweat. Takao glanced at Kuroko.

 

"You need to rest," the raven haired boy said, worried.

 

Riko clapped her hands. "Yes, Kuroko-kun, your misdirection can't last for all forty minutes. I'm taking you out. Takao-kun, you're in."

 

Ogiwara grinned, wiped his face with a towel. "Yeah, Tetsu, don't worry! We'll be fine! Trust in your Sun, will you?" He held out his hand for a fist bump, which Kuroko obliged to.

 

Takao wrinkled his nose. "Stop being so cheesy and poetic, please! It can be cute sometimes, but now is not the time!"

 

Riko chewed on her thumb. "The Kaijou players are mostly all larger in build and size than all of us. Strengthen the inside to guard against Kise. We'll need speed and precision. Takao-kun, Izuki-kun, circulate those passes until they end up in someone's hands, and don't forget to keep the ball out of Kise-kun's reach." Both mentioned players nodded. "Hyuuga-kun, this may be a bit early, but it's a critical time now. We'll need you."

 

The captain nodded, then stood up. "Got it. Seirin, fight!"

 

"Yeah!" The five players, Hyuuga, Ogiwara, Izuki, Mitobe, and Takao all walked onto the court. Kise's eyes widened at the sight of Takao.

 

"Why are you here?" he asked venomously.

 

Takao smirked. "Tetsu-chan is resting at the moment. Can't have him losing his misdirection now, can we?" He laughed at the blonde's surprised look. "Oh, you thought we didn't know about that, so you told them that that was the key to bringing Seirin down, huh?" His eyes narrowed. "Sorry, but Tetsu-chan isn't the only specialist on this team. We're the same breed, and are pretty much equals. So don't look down on me, or Seirin, got it?"

 

Kise snorted. "Talk all you want, but I _will_  win. Seirin will lose, and Kurokocchi will transfer to Kaijou with me."

 

"Whatever," spat Takao.

 

The ball was put into play, and was quickly passed from Izuki to Takao, and into the waiting hands of the captain. Hyuuga scored a three pointer, earning him excited cheers from the bench. 

 

Kasamatsu, Kaijou's captain and point guard, retaliated with a three pointer of his own and glared at Seirin. "Kise's not the only one here!" he shouted. "Don't you dare look down on the regulars of Kaijou!"

 

Hyuuga grinned, wiping the sweat off his face with the hem of his jersey. "Let's win this!" he roared.

 

"Yeah!"

 

They traded blows and points, Takao proving his skill with a few complicated passes and expert fakes as he coordinated with Ogiwara like Kuroko had done. He and Izuki circulated the ball around quickly so that Kise was unable to steal it, but they were still hopeless against the blonde's offense.

 

Two minutes into the fourth quarter, with the score at 91 - 89 in Kaijou's favor, Riko switched Kuroko back in for Takao.

 

The raven haired boy laughed weakly as he high fived the blue haired one. "Sorry, Tetsu-chan. I was hoping to be at least a few points ahead, but it seems Blondie is a bit too much for me."

 

"Just leave it to me, Kazu-kun."

 

The game continued with the revival of Kuroko's misdirection.

 

"Shit!" cursed Kasamatsu. _'Since he's been sitting out for almost two quarters, he's as invisible as he was at the start of the match!'_

 

With twenty seconds left, Kise dunked the ball roughly, putting Kaijou in the lead by four points, 99 - 95. "I won't lose to anyone, not even Kurokocchi," he growled.

 

Ogiwara gritted his teeth, even as Hyuuga scored with a three pointer, making the score 99 - 98 with ten seconds left. He turned as Kuroko tapped him on the shoulder and leaned down.

 

"I have an idea. One last thing Kise can't copy," he whispered. Ogiwara's eyes widened at the suggestion, and he grinned. 

 

"You can count on me!"

 

Kasamatsu had the ball, but Kuroko stole it quickly and dribbled down to Kaijou's goal, preparing to shoot.

 

Kise chased after him, all the while thinking, _'But Kurokocchi can't shoot!'_  He jumped, but Kuroko threw the ball over his head at the hoop, and Kasamatsu realized what they were doing.

 

_"All we have to do is score a buzzer beater."_

 

"Idiot, it's an alley-oop!" Too late. Ogiwara slammed the ball into the basket, while Kise tried in vain to reach him. _'Shit, I jumped too late!'_

 

The buzzer went off, with the score 100 - 99.

 

Kise fell to his knees, unaware of the tears running down his face. The very _real_  tears.

 

"I... lost...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry~! I'm really bad at writing matches because I just can't figure out how to describe it!


	8. AUTHOR'S NOTE: I AM SORRY

I have an announcement to make.

 

I can't think of how I want this story to go. I wasn't really expecting to be very dedicated to it, after all. So, unfortunately, I **will be abandoning it. I repeat, I will be abandoning this story.**

 

Perhaps I'll continue with it on a very later date, but it's unlikely. My brain is dead when it comes to the storyline.

 

Okay, so... Yeah, byeeeeeee~!

**Author's Note:**

> Wheeeeeee~! Chapter One is done! Sorry about the slight OOCness; I'm really bad at depicting canon characters.


End file.
